For many Australians, most of their retirement wealth is tied up in their home. A simple, well-designed program to tap into those trillions in home equity could help boost their retirement incomes.
Such a program exists. However, it remains little known and underused.
The federal government’s Home Equity Access Scheme (HEAS) allows older Australians to access their housing wealth. It is open to Australian residents aged 67 or older who own real estate in Australia, regardless of whether they receive the age pension.